It’s always interesting to take classes with instructors that I haven’t been with before, I always get some new insights, that is happening this time too 🙂 And there are 20 people in the class, among them 8 new students, which is promising for the growth of the Jin Shin Jyutsu community in Sweden,

Today I’m on my way to Uppsala for the 1st day of the class with Nathalie Max – it seems like we are going to be around 20 people in the class, some new, some review, and some organizers from other countries as well. I’m looking forward to the class, to meet old friends and to make some new friends too!

Nathalie Max was born in 1963 in Paris, France where she still lives. At a very young age she was attracted to drawing but her natural ability in mathematics sent her on a scientific path. In 1989, she was working in a science research lab when she took her first Jin Shin Jyutsu self help class. Nathalie states: ” From the very first morning, with the 36 breaths, something different happened to me that has never left me” At 26 she began her journey in Jin Shin Jyutsu It Is. and it is here she met her mentor, Muriel Carlton. In 2000 she chose to completely dedicate her life to this Art.

In her classes, her liking of exactness and simplicity is nurtured by a vibrant passion for the Orient and the Japanese culture, and when she attempts to go “behind the obvious”, “beyond the formulas ” or “to seek the invisible”, it is with her legendary humor that she enchants her students. Her teaching resembles her touch, it is with no pressure but with a subtle force she enjoys finding the words to wake up the Jin Shin Jyutsu artist that is in each of us. Facts about Nathalie:

(NaturalNews) The contrived attacks on Doctor Oz backfired in spectacular fashion today as he took to the air to expose the convicted felons, frauds and hucksters — all doctors operating as corporate front men — who tried to silence him.

To confront the vicious attempts at defamation and slander against him, Doctor Oz invited celebrated integrative medicine expert Dr. Joel Fuhrman to appear on his show. (For background, Dr. Fuhrman earns a big thumbs up from Natural News for his passionate advocacy of holistic healing modalities and disease prevention expertise.)

Dr. Fuhrman reveals Oz was targeted because he helps people need less medication

In this interview, Dr. Fuhrman lays out several key points that Natural News has been teaching and warning the public about for many years, saying that medical journals and government regulators “…are influenced by industry standards, by pharmaceutical companies paying for, sponsoring or interpreting the research.”

Dr. Fuhrman also points out that Doctor Oz is targeted for attack precisely because he teaches people to need LESS medication and take care of their own health. “…[T]here is a lot of opposition to somebody attempting an approach to get people well, to lessen their dependence on medication,” he says. (In other words — and this is absolutely true — if you teach people how to be well and not need pharmaceuticals, you are an enemy of the pharmaceutical industry which will hire people to try to destroy you.)

Dr. Fuhrman also confirmed what Natural News first reported many days ago about the mainstream media’s utter abandonment of real journalism, saying the media’s reporting of the attacks on Oz was steeped in “…sloppy and even dangerous journalism, because they didn’t do their background checks, they didn’t know who these people were, they didn’t understand their agenda, and they reported a lot of things that were just not accurate.” He may even be referring to the Vox.com attack on Oz which was carried out by a vindictive, fact-averse journalist named Julia Belluz who is now strongly suspected of being on the payroll of the so-called “Monsanto Discredit Bureau.”

Both Doctor Oz and Dr. Fuhrman deserve tremendous support and applause for having the courage to stand up for the truth and call out the dishonest industry front men whose sleazy tactics resemble those of a criminal mafia, not a medical community. (Those attacking Oz are in no way his “peers” as was falsely reported by the media. They are the evil shadow of the dark side of medicine and biotech corporations…)

Here’s a transcript of the exchange between Fuhrman and Oz. The full episode will be posted tomorrow on www.DoctorOz.com

Dr. Oz: My colleague, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, is here. So how would you evaluate what these doctors have said, and what do you think of them as individuals?

Dr. Fuhrman: Well, you know, it’s ugly, it’s ugly. Number one, they’re not representative of the medical profession. Number two, it’s not attack just against you; it’s attack against all physicians, all health professionals, all people who maybe don’t take a standard party line. I mean, much of what doctors do is based on logic, experience, good judgment, and we don’t necessarily have to support the most favored industry group of the day. So I think it’s very important that we recognize this as being anti-American, anti-freedom, anti the right to help people in the best way possible.

Dr. Oz: What’s disappointed you the most in all the hoopla that’s happened over the past couple of days?

Dr. Fuhrman: Well, it was very disappointing. First of all, the way that what the media did — to explode with it all over the place. It was sloppy and even dangerous journalism, because they didn’t do their background checks, they didn’t know who these people were, they didn’t understand their agenda, and they reported a lot of things that were just not accurate. And it’s all, you know, they attack first, ask questions later.

Dr. Oz: So, I’ve been criticized frequently for covering alternative medicine approaches on this show. Talking about things that are done in other parts of the world that aren’t conventionally done in this country. I think all of these things have been around for centuries. How do we look at and deal with the amount of intense criticism we get from some physicians about that decision?

Dr. Fuhrman: Yea, I think that, number one, we have to recognize that half of what doctors do in their regular practices are not supported by randomized, controlled trials. We do this out of — just because we’ve always done it a certain way. There are very narrow portions that are very well supported, and the first thing I learned in medical school — actually, the same medical school that you went to — in the first pharmacology course I took, was never forget that all drugs are toxic, they have very serious potential side effects, and always use lifestyle, natural, nutritional approaches as your first line of defense. Don’t do more harm. Protect people’s safety first. Get to the cause.

Dr. Oz: Our show’s also pressed hard on some broader controversial health issues, like for example, what’s happening in the environment. Yet I must say I’ve gotten a lot of pushback, not so much from physicians but actually the media on some of these stances.

Dr. Fuhrman: Well we recognize that whatever position you take you’re always going to hurt somebody else, in their pocket book, to a degree. It’s a strong industry power that effects government, effects health authorities’ decision making, like the American Diatetic Association, the American Heart Association, our government’s decisions, the medical profession, medical studies published in legitimate, high[ly] prestigious medical journals are influenced by industry standards, by pharmaceutical companies paying for, sponsoring or interpreting the research, and there is a lot of opposition to somebody attempting an approach to get people well, to lessen their dependence on medication, maybe the industry people that are attacking you right now. So I think we have to consider the context of the environment we live in.

Please send your support and thanks to Doctor Oz via his Facebook page, and let him know you’re very happy to see him standing up for himself against industry bullies and biotech charlatans. For the record, Doctor Oz openly supports GMO labeling because he believes consumers have the right to know what they’re eating.

Only a complete industry sellout would even disagree with such a commonsense position, it turns out.

Are your chocolate cravings so intense that you feel like it screams your name? Do you ever jump out of bed in the middle of the night because of a muscle spasm? Or, no matter what you try, do you have difficulty sleeping? There’s a good chance you’re deficient in magnesium.

Substantial numbers of Americans are deficient in the mineral magnesium. However, most people have no idea that they’re missing this vital mineral. Nutritionists often call magnesium the master mineral because it affects over 300 different enzymatic processes that help your body function properly.

As a registered dietitian, I’d like to share seven of the most common symptoms of magnesium deficiency — backed up by research — I see when clients come for nutrition counseling:

1. Muscle cramps or spasms

If you’ve had one of these, you know how awful they can be whether you’re sitting at your desk or awakened in the middle of the night with a painfully tight calf! Muscle cramps are a result of muscle spasms, which are involuntary muscle contractions. Magnesium helps relax muscles throughout your body, so when you’re deficient your muscles will contract involuntarily.

2. Trouble sleeping

Millions of Americans have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Magnesium plays an important role in the function of your central nervous system. Without sufficient magnesium, you may experience insomnia. Also, magnesium levels drop in your body at night, leading to poor quantity and quality of REM sleep, which is the most critical sleep cycle to recharge your body and mind.

3. Chocolate cravings

Dark chocolate is high in magnesium, and one square provides about 24% of your daily value of magnesium. Intense “I have to have it” chocolate cravings are another sign of magnesium deficiency. Your body actually craves what it needs sometimes.

4. Anxiety

Magnesium is the most powerful relaxation mineral. If you experience anxiety, this is a common early symptom of how your central nervous system is affected by magnesium deficiency. When you feel anxious, taking 200mg of magnesium may make you feel more relaxed.

5. High blood pressure

Many people wonder why they have high blood pressure even though they follow a healthy, whole food diet. Magnesium may be the answer; another important function of magnesium is relaxing and dilating your blood vessels. When you’re low in magnesium, your blood vessels constrict more, causing high blood pressure. Adequate magnesium levels also help balance your electrolytes. Unbalanced electrolytes can create high blood pressure as well.

6. Irregular heartbeat

It has become common for people to develop heart arrhythmias, then be put on medications. Your heart is a muscular organ, making the cardiovascular system highly dependent on magnesium to properly function. If your heart is deficient in magnesium, it can’t contract properly, which may cause irregular heartbeats.

7. Constipation

If you experience constipation regularly, that’s another sign you’re deficient in magnesium. When you’re low in magnesium, your intestines contract more, making it harder for stool to pass. Not only will magnesium relax your bowel to create a more regular bowel rhythm, but it also has an osmotic effect. Magnesium pulls water into the bowels, softening the stool. Choose magnesium citrate to help constipation.

Most of my clients have at least one of the above symptoms and have found great relief after increasing their magnesium levels.

How can you increase your magnesium levels?

First, stop eating foods that deplete nutrients, such as flour and sugar. Instead eat foods high in magnesium, such as meat, avocados, leafy green vegetables and nuts. If you’re eating chocolate to restore some of your magnesium, make sure it’s at least 70% cocoa, and keep your chocolate intake to one ounce or less per day.

Even if you eat a healthy diet, you will likely still need to supplement with magnesium. Look for a good-quality magnesium supplement in the form of magnesium glycinate, which is one of the most absorbable forms. Most people need about 400 mg, but you can go up to 1,000 mg per day if needed. Take magnesium at bedtime for best absorption and to provide deep, rejuvenating sleep!

I have been taking a acupressure class for a while now, I am halfway through the class now, we have had lessons 8 (extended) weekends this past year, and we will have 6 more to come in the fall and next spring. I wanted to take this class because there are so many people asking me what’s the difference between acupressure and Jin Shin Jyutsu – halfway through the class I feel like I have somewhat of an answer 🙂 there are a lot of similarities, but there are also differences.

But it also helps me to understand Jin Shin Jyutsu in a deeper way – I was participating in Sadaki Kato’s class two months ago in Los Angeles, and felt that my knowledge of acupressure (the way it is taught in this class) helped me to better understand some of the things he was talking about – and I also have been wondering about some acupuncture points (tsubos) – why those points wasn’t used in JSJ, since they seems to be really important in acupuncture. And I understood at Sadaki’s class that Haruki Kato had incorporated many of those points into JSJ, which was really interesting.

The history of Jin Shin Jyutsu Safety Energy Locks is that not all 26 were used in the beginning, Jiro Murai had 15 from the beginning, then he added SEL 16-22, and then the last 3 years of his life 23-25 came into JSJ. So I was kind of wondering – if Jiro Murai had lived longer, maybe there had been more Safety Energy Locks added to the history of JSJ…. now it was Haruki Kato that added some more – they don’t have a number, but Sadaki Kato talked about them, and they are on the acupuncture meridians.

Anyway, we had our last class-weekend this weekend, and we were having a nice dinner to celebrate “half-time” – this is what the place looked like 🙂

Conversations are underrated. A fast-paced 24/7 lifestyle has made many people expedite things, even life experiences. We want the answers now. We want the fixes now. We want it done now. Most people do not want to talk about it or explore, even with themselves. What we find, though, is that the journey is the point, not the destination. The journey is the gold.

Time factor is not the only pressure. When we are sick, we are also dealing with pain, uncertainty, and mortality. We just want to be out of pain. We just want to be healthy again. Now. We worry what we are doing is not making a dent, not turning things ‘round. Not fast enough. The statistics do not look good and we worry. It is scary to follow the “familiar” milestones as a disease “takes its course.” For many, it is also terrifying to walk their own path, having no recognizable signposts, guided only by their inner compass. Listening to that stillness within requires we are quiet and silence is not something many people have time for or are comfortable with.

We have also been brought up with a reductionist approach to healthcare, which is essentially sickcare. We fix what is “wrong” – what is not working. Got a headache? Take a tylenol. Got a virus? Antibiotics. Depressed? ADHD? Other pills. Allopathic medicine focuses on combating the symptoms and on preventing further pathological development. Allopathic medicine is great for life-saving measures and there is definitely a place for it. We are not anti-medicine and are very excited about the growing field of integrative medicine but ask that the first port of call is not a tylenol or even antibiotics, especially when a pattern of illness is present. What we are saying is to have conversations. Ask questions. Understand your options, including those that are not mainstream but fall under complementary or even alternative care. Tap into the principle of holism. Stretch a little out of your comfortable zone.

What I love about complementary and alternative streams is their philosophy, and how I can apply them to life in general and my own journey to a greater understanding of myself. Know Thyself. If you have seen a steady stream of doctors, you would know that it helps to be able to answer questions from “how much water do you drink a day” to “when was your last menses” to “what part of the day do you feel no energy” and “when did this start.” Knowing yourself helps your practitioners, be they allopathic or otherwise, build a better picture of what may be going on. Knowing yourself brings you out of auto piloting through life, and into more potential. Self-inquiry opens doors, as well as hearts.

If you ask complementary/alternative practitioners for a soundbite of what they do, most would be hard pressed to come up with anything more than “bringing a person back to balance,” “giving a person more energy so the body can heal” “looking for the underlying cause” or “removing blockages” because in spite of the diversity of methods, the belief is that there is an intelligence, undeniable interrelations, and energy. We do not use the word “well” or even “healthy” all that much because we realize true wellness goes beyond the physical and is not marked by a lack of disease. We are trusting the body and its innate wisdom to do what its 100 trillion cells (and their 100 trillion atoms) are programmed to do, according to our blueprint. We trust that dis-ease points to a deep underlying imbalance, and a call to look at our lives. What often happens is we disconnect from our essence. We disconnect from our body. We create blockages when we experience trauma, suppress symptoms, disallow our emotions to be expressed, continue habits that burden the bodily functions, etc. The healing journey is about much more than getting disease-free.

So what are some of these complementary/alternative therapies?

If you ask a JIN SHIN JYUTSU practitioner what Jin Shin Jyutsu (JSJ) is, they are likely to tell you about the 26 Safety Energy Locks and how this modality has a Self-Help component which makes it easy and simple for everyone to do. It is not elitist because well-being is our birthright. “Be your own testimony” is what the late teacher and founder of Jin Shin Jyutsu (Scottsdale) Mary Burmeister frequently said. Further into the conversation, a JSJ practitioner is also likely to share that they are students, long-life students in fact. While JSJ is simple, it is also profound and powerful. Aside from JSJ working on the level at which meridians are created, we do not really truly understand how it works. But it works. It, being healing, not curing, and that is an important distinction. When we work on ourselves, spend time with ourselves, and love ourselves, no matter the outcome, be it deterioration and death or undreamed-of-vitality, healing happens. Becoming more self-aware is healing. Bringing people together to release past hurts is healing. Manifesting what many would call a miracle is healing. Anything that brings us closer to Source is healing.

I thought about a few other modalities and what wisdom I have thus far gleamed. How each plants ideas that go beyond the reductionist model, bringing wholeness and possibility back into play. We can benefit in so many ways, even if it is just opening our mind to new ideas and that there are other choices available to us.

REIKI works with Universal Energy. Qi or life force. It is often asked how JSJ differs from Reiki. There is a term in JSJ, jumper-cabling, which means that we are allowing for blockages to release but we are not doing whereas in Reiki, a practitioner transfers energy to the client for a more general application. JSJ practitioners also read the pulses and the body to determine specific flows to use.

The way I explain it to clients who ask is to think of our bodies as homes. Reiki addresses the main power line coming into the house and the grounding line. Jin Shin Jyutsu interacts with all the intricate circuitry in the home that brings energy to every room, every outlet. Our 26 SELs function like the circuit breaker panel, constantly monitoring the electrical system, ready to save our home if there is something out of the ordinary going on in the distribution of electricity. – Leslie Salisbury Demich, Body in Balance

Reiki practitioners also work with five principles –

Just for today, I will not be angry.
Just for today, I will not worry.
Just for today, I will be grateful.
Just for today, I will do my work honestly.
Just for today, I will be kind to every living thing.

Like many alternative/complementary modalities, Reiki is often seen as pseudoscience. Even if someone does not believe in qi, chi, prana, etc, they can benefit from these principles, which bring peace to the mind, healing to the body, joy to the spirit, abundance to the soul, and love into the will.1

Being angry and worrying are common challenges for most people. This does not mean you should not be angry but to allow it be expressed in a healthy way. In our society being angry is frowned upon (mostly because we are uncomfortable with it) and more often than not, we suppress outrage. Emotion is energy in motion and health depends on it being in flow and even emotions deemed as negative have their place. Being angry reminds us what we do not want and often propels action. It is energetic and less worrying than having someone who feels resigned. But anger festers in the body. Resentment builds and joy is stripped from one’s life. Being angry also holds someone hostage in the past, rather than living in the present moment.

Living in the future is not productive either and that is what worrying is. Having a vision is not the same as living in the future, in fear of something that may or may not happen but definitely has not happened. Like anger, worry takes us out of the now. Now is where the power is, where possibilities lie. Now is where we decide how we deal with what has happened and take the next steps forward. To be able to recognize and give thanks for all that is in our life is the gratitude in practice. This is the highway to joy and abundance! When we are grateful we recognize that the world is not a win/loss paradigm. We do not need to hurt or deceive others or take at the expense of others to live the life we desire. Living this is a game-changer! These five principles help us remember we are powerful creators and how we live matters.

I’d say with Reiki, the path is about discovering what is going on inside, observing one’s actions and as much as possible, trying to be of service, being more calm, and being love. – Pavla Williams, Reiki Singapore

NUTRIPUNCTURE works with four vital parameters for the body or four essential conditions for vitality are – bipolarity, being in the here and now, spatial orientation, and sensory and cognitive identity. Life is based on polarity, like the principle of yin-yang. “Each of these two inseparable poles is essential for the other’s expression; their synergy is the prime support of life.”2 The principle of bipolarity is fundamental – sympathetic-parasympaethic, female-male, acid-alkaline, a pairing that can also be seen in the meridians. Bipolarity is what drives life as we know it, as far as we know at this point.

Being here and now means we are within a certain space and time. If you are in Singapore, are you really in Singapore? Or maybe it’s Paris? Or elsewhere? Spatial and temporal anchoring helps us take in and properly integrate the information of our environment. We are an open system with our ecosystem and being electromagnetic, we are effected by the qualities of the magnetic field of where we are located. The body follows various biorhythms and natural cycles for its proper functioning. Anchoring helps us follow the natural flow of our energy systems. Do you have your right, left, front, back, top, bottom, outside, and inside sorted? Often those who are easily lost can have this aspect out of balance, as well as those who get their left and right wrong way round. On the physical level, being able to discern front and back, for example, helps our mobility. Having the ability to project in these backward and forward directions supports us in moving forward in life. Anchoring also helps with our sense of personal space and boundaries.

Cognitive identity is about being on our own identity, expressing who we are and recognizing the other, “without any fusion or confusion.”3 We are all unique, not only on the cellular and genetic level but our triggers, our stories, our relationships… We can only heal what is ours and living our lives for someone or as someone else, is unhealthy. Being fusional with someone else – be it a parent, spouse or sibling – can mean having the “wrong” information circulating in your system.

Even without using the nutris (trace minerals used to activate/restore/nourish organ circuits or vital currents to trigger self-regulation), we can benefit from Nutripuncture. Start the day by saying hello to your different organs. Feel, for example, if your lungs feel like your lungs and if your colon feels like your colon (or reversed). At first, this may sound impossible. How do lungs even feel like? This is part of the “Know Thyself” journey. The more you practice, the more fine-tuned you will become with how you feel internally. This not only connects you to your own body but to how you feel on more and more subtle levels so you will know when you are just a little out of balanced, not a whole lot out of balanced. Another “exercise” is to check if you are on your own identity throughout the day, especially after some strong encounters – feeling depleted or out of sorts, arguing with someone, etc. The more often and the longer we are off our identity, the less vitality we experience in life.

“From the time of birth, experience is fundamental to individual developments and is an essential “fertilizer” for awakening the abilities programmed in the genes of every human being. In fact, without adequate stimuli, all the information contained in our gene pool cannot be activated.” 4

FLOWER ESSENCES and HOMEOPATHY do not logically make sense. How can a dilution to the point where no physical matter exists work? How does making a Mother Tincture from placing flowers in a bowl of purified water work to restore balance? Anyone who has spent time with flowers and connected with plant spirits will know instinctively how profoundly powerful flower essences are. Many people swear by flower essences and homeopathy, which are also often mocked as quack science. From a Newtonian perspective, yes, it makes no sense. What we are working with is energy and the fact that we are electromagnetic beings and respond to frequency, not only matter. As a species, we have spent our time intimately connected to the earth and the cosmos. “The primary frequencies the body needs are given by the sun and the earth.”5 We are tuned to them and their harmonics. We live within electromagnetic frequencies, such as Schumann’s Resonance Frequencies, “the planetary heartbeat that sets the tempo for our health and well-being.”6

Using flower essences and homeopathy, along with earthing, reconnects us to the earth. This is an important point, especially as more and more people live far from the ground or spend much of their time travelling in the skies. Dr Edward Bach who invented the Bach Flowers system also said that what we need can always be found near us. Nature has the answer and oftentimes, it is literally right in our backyard. Working with these treasures of the earth and the plant kingdom brings greater awareness of the damage we are causing to our environment and the imbalance we are causing in our ecosystem. Is it not time to remember we are of nature? The imbalance outside reflects the imbalance inside and vice versa.

If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration. – Nikola Tesla.

ACCESS CONSCIOUSNESS™ & ACCESS BARS™. This modality is out to change the way you think and it is fantastic! We live our lives from our beliefs, so many of which are subconscious. We live from some program that was written by others, beliefs we somehow absorbed and adopted, even before the age of two. I love that Access is about asking questions and not solidifying reality with answers. Answers stop the conversation; questions lead us to interesting places. In March 2015 neuroscientist Dr Jeffrey L Fannin showed the positive brain changes from doing just a short session of Access Bars. Bars are these 32 areas of energy in our head that store the electromagnetic component of our thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, decisions, etc. and an Access Bars session “deletes” the files from our server that we call the brain. When we change how we think about life, when our perspectives shift, we are freed from patterns and possibilities really open up. “How does it get any better than that?”™

FELDENKRAIS We like to label and categorize things. We do. It helps us understand. It helps diminish the overwhelm factor. To say that Feldenkrais is a body or somatic modality is to forget that the body, mind, and spirit are interlinked and cannot be uncoupled. We forget that how we hold our body results in changes in organ function and emotion and vice versa. Is your digestion problematic because your stomach is not functioning optimally? Is it your diet? Is it emotions denied? Is it poor posture?

The GRINBERG METHOD, another fantastic modality is all about awareness. Of what it feels like being in the body. In YOUR body. Oftentimes we lock out parts of our own body because sensations are too painful, too overwhelming, or just too much. The problem is when this short-term strategy morphs into a long-term approach and prevents us from being ALL of who we are. We pick up patterns like not breathing fully or breathing only in the upper part so that we cut off the flow of emotions (and energy) throughout the body.

With enough energy and attention, there are very few things that cannot be achieved. – Avi Grinberg, Founder.

Grinberg Method practitioners will tell you this is not about healing, but learning. Learning to be in your body once again. And yes we are often broken and in need of “fixing” but it is a matter of remembering.

Living in Singapore, most of us may be more familiar with Chinese REFLEXOLOGY but similar methods were used by Native Indians and African tribes and in Egypt, India, and Japan.7 In Europe, this practice grew out of Dr Fitzgerald’s work with Zone Therapy. His findings led him to the idea that the body contains ten longitudinal zones, from toes up to the head, each of which is on the same energy flow. Like in JSJ, where we look for cause in the opposite region of the effect, in this zone-approach reflexology, for a problem in the hip, look to the shoulder or for a problem with the ankle, look to the wrist. Also similar to JSJ, Zone Therapy works with transverse zones – shoulder, waist, and pelvic floor and in this case, correlate to the feet. The idea that the whole body is mapped out in the hand, foot, ear, etc reflects the fractal (self-similar pattern) nature of existence. We see these fractal patterns in shells, watersheds, leaves, coastlines, mountain ranges (aerial view) and even the foldings of DNA.

Given how much we know, there is a lot that we do not know and even things that we do not even know we do not know about. Whenever we learn something new, we are creating neural pathways and we make new connections. Life is about connections and self-awareness is a state that allows us to see more, experience more. Perhaps the belief that we are spiritual beings living a human/physical life is not within your paradigm, and that is alright. Even if someone does not believe in anything more than the “right now, right here” they can still benefit from these modalities in approaching life from a different perspective and being more heart-centered and open to new experiences. Maybe we are not all ready to jump into a spiritual practice or a more esoteric form of healing, but we can all recognize our journey of self-awareness and how, through this knowledge, we can live happier lives and connect more deeply with those around us and to our environment.

Perhaps some people can take a different step and leave behind the Newtonian science that is taught in school and be more comfortable with what quantum physics is showing – that we are energetic. The universe is holographic and “reality” is the manifestation of an observation. Experiments show that atoms exist in both particle and waveform and how they show up is affected by the observer. What we decide in our life, through our beliefs, thoughts, words, and actions, makes a difference in what shows up.

On the weekend, legenday singer Neil Young had his last Starbucks latte.

Why? Because Neil Young is now boycotting Starbucks for being a member of the Grocery Manufacturers Association — the body that is suing the U.S. state of Vermont. The exciting thing is that he’s doing it because he saw our petition (see below!).

Neil Young’s on board. We’ve already had over 320,000 SumOfUs members sign on. Now we need you to show Starbucks that we won’t be ignored.

Will you join Neil Young and ask Starbucks to stand up for accurate food labeling?

Tell Starbucks that we have the right to know what’s in our food. Add your voice now.

_____________________________________________

Starbucks doesn’t think you have the right to know what’s in your coffee. So it’s teamed up with Monsanto to sue the small U.S. state of Vermont to stop you from finding out.

Hiding behind the shadowy “Grocery Manufacturers Association”, Starbucks is supporting a lawsuit that’s aiming to block a landmark law that requires genetically-modified ingredients be labeled. Amazingly, it claims that the law is an assault on corporations’ right to free speech. Even a local Vermont company, Green Mountain Coffee, has joined in.

SumOfUs members have already chipped in to support Vermont’s legal defense fund. Now, we need to undermine the Grocery Manufacturers Association’s base. Monsanto might not care what we think — but as a public-facing company, Starbucks does. If we can generate enough attention, we can push Starbucks to withdraw its support for the lawsuit, and then pressure other companies to do the same.

Sign the petition to tell Starbucks and Green Mountain Coffee to withdraw their support for the lawsuit against Vermont, and stop fighting accurate food labeling.

Vermont is a small, entirely rural state with just 600,000 people. It’s a classic David and Goliath fight between Vermont and Monsanto. Considering that Starbucks has been progressive on LGBT and labor issues in the past, it’s disappointing that it is working with the biggest villain of them all, Monsanto.

There’smuch more at stake here than just whether GMO foods will be labeled in a single U.S. state. Vermont is the very first state in the U.S. to require labeling. Dozens of other states have said that they will follow this path — in order to encourage this, we need to ensure that Vermont’s law stands strong.

That’s why Monsanto and its new allies are fighting so hard to kill GMO labeling in Vermont.

But whatever you think of GMOs, corporations should not be using massive lawsuits to overturn legitimate, democratic decisions with strong public backing.

SumOfUs is already fighting back — we helped Vermont raise almost a quarter of a million dollars to defend themselves against Monsanto’s bullying! But the next strategic step is to pressure and call out members of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the shadowy body leading the lawsuit.

Still no Latte for me. No more Starbucks at all until the giant corporation stands up and comes clean.
Although Starbucks official response denies accusations that it has teamed with Monsanto and the Grocery Manufacturing Alliance to overturn the the anti labeling law passed in Vermont, the facts show Starbucks response is misleading to their customers.
Starbucks and Monsanto are both members of the GROCERY MANUFACTURERS ALLIANCE, the organization behind the lawsuit against the state of Vermont. Alliance is defined as “a pact, coalition or friendship between two or more parties, made in order to advance common goals and to secure common interests.”
It is my opinion that Starbucks and Monsanto, as part of this alliance, are clearly supporting and funding a lawsuit against the state of Vermont that aims to overturn a law supporting food labeling. The GMA is merely Starbucks’ and Monsanto’s front, used to deflect criticism and avoid responsibility for their actions.Internal GMA documents filed last year as part of a lawsuit in Washington State revealed members contribute to a “Defense of Brands Strategic Account” designed “to help the industry fund programs to address the threats from motivated and well financed activists” and to “shield individual companies from criticism for funding of specific efforts.” –Reuters
The GMA, in alliance with Starbucks, is suing to overturn a recent law, passed by citizens in Vermont, that allows them to know what they are eating by providing food labeling.
Neil Young
November 24, 2014
Malibu California

I was in Los Angeles recently, for Sadaki Kato’s class, and was planning to go to Chus Arias 5 day class in Singapore in June – but the class was full for review students, so I can’t go… I’m happy to hear that Jin Shin Jyutsu is popular, so the classes are big over there, but I wanted to go to a class in the summer, so I was checking out what I could do instead… so maybe I will go to Wayne Hackett’s class in L.A – I have taken several classes with him, and I know that he is a good teacher, so hopefully I will be able to go there, even though I was there only two months ago 🙂

It’s a 3 day class, and the topic is “cause and effect”, interesting topic!
Here are some words about Wayne from the JSJ website:

Wayne Hackett was born and raised in California, graduating from high school in Tehachapi, California.He attended Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, where he majored in pre-dental studies.He was accepted into the University of Oregon Dental School;however, later chose to return to Abilene Christian University, where he received a B.S. Ed degree, specializing in the sciences and secondary education.In Texas, he worked in both state and private institutions as a teacher/counselor.

In 1972, he moved to Boulder, Colorado, where his interest turned towards holistic health and education. Structural integration (the work of Dr. Ida P. Rolf) shaped and focused much of his early study. On November 14, 1977, Wayne met Mary Burmeister, who has been his teacher and inspiration since that day.

Wayne currently makes his home on the Island of Kauai in Hawaii, where he continues his Jin Shin Jyutsu study and maintains a private practice. Wayne travels extensively, presenting Jin Shin Jyutsu lectures in the United States and throughout the world.He has a particular fascination with the esoteric significance of symbols (numbers) and cosmic geometry (planetary relationships).

Please join us for a Special Topic Jin Shin Jyutsu Class. This year we are delighted to have Wayne Hackett from Hawaii as our guest instructor. We have a lovely classroom in the Santa Monica Place Recreation Room at the Santa Monica Place Mall, a block away from Santa Monica pier and the water. This is our fourth bi-lingual class. We will have a Spanish translator thus offering this great class to our Spanish speaker community members. For those of you who only speak English, this gives you time to write your notes in a less hurried fashion. Our first bi-lingual classes have been a huge success and we anticipate the same for this year.

ABOUT JIN SHIN JYUTSU®
Jin Shin Jyutsu Physio-Philosophy is an art of harmonizing the life energy in the body. Through the practice of this art, we may experience the complete peace and serenity that is available to all.

Wayne Hackett will be talking about Cause and Effect. Jin Shin Jyutsu is an effective tool for alleviating stress, and enhancing the body’s natural ability to heal and rejuvenate. For those of us addressing existing stress or health disharmonies and for those of us simply wishing to participate actively in maintaining our health, the Art of Jin Shin Jyutsu is a simple and powerful tool available to all. This seminar will help us better choose which flows to use in either situation.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
CEUs are available for nurses and acupuncturists. CE hours are available to massage therapists certified by NCBTMB (National Certification Board for Massage & Bodywork). More information will follow.

LOCATION
The seminar will be held at the: Santa Monica Place Recreation Room ( 3rd floor)
The Santa Monica Place Recreation Room
315 Colorado Ave. Santa Monica, Ca. 90401 Telephone: (310) 394 5451
CLASS HOURS
3 DAY Special Topic Class: Friday-Sunday from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Registration begins at 8:30 am the 1st day.
ACCOMMODATIONS
There are many hotels close to downtown Santa Monica, the most reasonable within walking distance is the Hotel Carmel. We will send you a complete list with the confirmation letter.

TUITION: Full payment greatly appreciated by June 15, 2015. There is an early bird discount if paid in full by April 26, 2015.

Tuition: $170.00 per day . Total for all three days: $510.00
Early Bird Price: $150.00 per day. Total for Three days $450.00

JIN SHIN JYUTSU® PHYSIO-PHILOSOPHY

To enroll in this wonderful seminar, please complete the form attached and send along with a deposit of $100 for the class. If you want to take advantage of the Early Bird Price, send the full amount by April 26, 2015.

Upon receipt of enrollment, I will send a confirmation letter with further details including information about lodging and directions to the class.

If I can help in any way, please contact me at jinshinzoe@sbcglobal.net or (310) 556 3241, or you may contact the co-organizer Carole Ross at itis88@aol.com or (310) 480 8436.

We look forward to having you join us for this very awesome class with Wayne and to share in the Art of Jin Shin Jyutsu.
Thank you very much
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

REGISTRATION FORM
Name ________________________________ Email ____________________________________________